Search This Blog

The Day After...

Perhaps many of us are still shocked over America's choice to re-elect President Obama. I still can't believe it. I can't believe America would willingly chose the agenda that he and his administration are implementing . But now we have made our bed and we will get to lie in it. All of us. It breaks my heart more than I can even describe.

Life will not be easy. Difficult times are ahead of us, my dear brothers and sisters. Nothing will be the same.

In the words of Thomas Paine written December 23rd, 1776:

THESE are the times that try men's souls.

The summer soldier and the
sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their
country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of
man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have
this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more
glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly:
it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.

Heaven knows how
to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if
so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated. Britain,
with an army to enforce her tyranny, has declared that she has a right
(not only to TAX) but "to BIND us in ALL CASES WHATSOEVER" and if being
bound in that manner, is not slavery, then is there not such a thing as
slavery upon earth. Even the expression is impious; for so unlimited a
power can belong only to God.God Almighty will not give up a people to military destruction, or leave
them unsupportedly to perish, who have so earnestly and so repeatedly
sought to avoid the calamities of war, by every decent method which
wisdom could invent.

In the fourteenth [fifteenth] century the whole English army, after
ravaging the kingdom of France, was driven back like men petrified with
fear; and this brave exploit was performed by a few broken forces
collected and headed by a woman, Joan of Arc. Would that heaven might
inspire some Jersey maid to spirit up her countrymen, and save her fair
fellow sufferers from ravage and ravishment! Yet panics, in some cases,
have their uses; they produce as much good as hurt. Their duration is
always short; the mind soon grows through them, and acquires a firmer
habit than before.

But their peculiar advantage is, that they are the
touchstones of sincerity and hypocrisy, and bring things and men to
light, which might otherwise have lain forever undiscovered. In fact,
they have the same effect on secret traitors, which an imaginary
apparition would have upon a private murderer. They sift out the hidden
thoughts of man, and hold them up in public to the world.

For though the flame of liberty may sometimes cease to shine, the coal can never expire.

Those words are so powerful--written by Thomas Paine on a cold day when defeat seemed certain and hope seemed lost.

Yet, in all ofwhat is happening and what is to come, God does not abandon us. Our Blessed Mother does not abandon us. God has a plan in all of this and darkness never wins.

We must be faithful to Him no matter what the cost. Let us pray for the grace of courage and fidelity. Let us pray and pray some more.

NFL great Peyton Manning announced his retirement today. During a press conference, the 39-year-old quarterback tearfully expressed his gratitude to the many people who contributed over the years to his life and career. He thanked friends, family, fans and even foes whom he encountered in his 18 seasons in the NFL. He laughed, cried, reminisced and spoke with hope for the future.

As I watched Peyton say goodbye to professional football, I was thinking of how highly people regard him as a person. Sure, he is a stellar athlete who will most likely be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. Yes, he holds numerous MVP awards. I think, however, people see in him something more. They see a hardworking, sincere person who is devoted, not just to winning football games, but to God and his family as well. He is embroiled in no scandal, no off-field antics. He has not forgotten where he came from and I think we will likely see him in some leadership position in the future.

Below is another guest post by our fabulous SOLT Sister, Sr. Anne Marie Walsh. This post was originally featured on Seton Magazine.

Why Catholic Homeschool and Monks Seek the Same Thing
It can be challenging to look at the world today and to remember the words of Scripture: “…where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more” (Rms. 5:20).
We know the Gospel’s relevance is timeless. However, understanding the way in which it penetrates a specific period in time requires a creativity found only in the Holy Spirit, Who searches the hearts of men and applies the deep things of God within concrete historical situations.
Pope Benedict XVI, meeting with representatives from the world of culture at the Collège des Bernardins, Paris, in 2008, addressed the threats to modern culture by drawing attention to the roots of Western Civilization.
In particular, he considered monasticism and its development, noting that,
“Amid the confusion of the times, in which nothing seemed permanent, they (the mo…